RE: chronotopes and Eugene's garage

From: Eugene Matusov (ematusov@udel.edu)
Date: Tue Jul 29 2003 - 19:35:38 PDT


Dear Kevin (my Piroshkian colleague :-) and everybody-

I agree with Kevin that Bakhtin prioritized time over space in his notion of
chronotope. Bakhtin wrote, "It can be said that it is precisely the
chronotope that defines genre and generic distinctions, for in literature
the primary category in the chronotope is time" (Bakhtin, 1994, Dialogic
imagination, p. 85). However, I do not think that Bakhtin neglects space (or
even value system). Kevin, what makes you say that? It is interesting...

Kevin wrote,
> Eugene's note about his car and the university garage (in the middle
> of the conversation) reminded me of how Bakhtin talks about
> chronotopic motifs--the sense in which an entire time-space can be
> called up by an image, briefly sketched scene, or typified action
> (e.g., strangers meeting on the road). Eugene's car getting locked in
> the university garage is an example--an image that calls up
> institutional control of schedule and space, Eugene's traversals to
> home or other spaces, etc.

At that time (sic!), I participated at least in three chronotopes:
1) xmca chronotope: immediacy of the discussion (a few days it can be too
late to reply Mike since the communal focus will shift to another topic),
Mike's provocation of reply in me, communal ethics, and so on. Space/place:
my computer connected to the Internet, XMCA, Mike and his roses, the topic
of "categorical distinctions". Time: rhythm of dialogue exchanges, checking
emails, moving shared focus of the community in discussion. Axiology:
replying to messages directed personally to me, try not to overwhelmed xmca
people, try to be helpful to others, and so on...

2) institutional chronotope: Space: the PIG lab of Internationally
Recognized Excellence in Willard Hall hall (the guy's last name was Hall),
School of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, the Center of
Universe :-) that is not very far from the parking garage where my car is
waiting for me. Time: a few minutes before the garage is closed (in summer
it is closed early at 11pm, otherwise it works until 1am). Axiology: Even if
the parking garage is closed and I'm late, UD police will open the garage
for me (as faculty, I wonder what they say behind my back.... but with me
they are very polite). I wonder if they are similarly courteous with
students whose car is locked.... Somehow, knowing local culture that is
rather hierarchical, I doubt but I can be wrong.

3) family chronotope: Space: 45mi and 50 min away from home. Time: Very-very
late! Axiology: What the hell am I do at work so late?! Or, even better,
"what the hell is he doing at work so late?!" Why?!!!

What do you think?

Eugene

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin Leander [mailto:kevin.leander@vanderbilt.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 10:12 AM
> To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> Subject: chronotopes and Eugene's garage
>
> Have been reading the conversation on chronotopes with a great deal
> of interest and have enjoyed how Jay, Eugene, and others pushed the
> conversation toward value, ideology, and considering the qualitative
> differences among time-spaces a la Bakhtin--putting to work on the
> institution of schooling and schooled practices the kind of analysis
> that B. put to work on literature.
>
> Eugene's note about his car and the university garage (in the middle
> of the conversation) reminded me of how Bakhtin talks about
> chronotopic motifs--the sense in which an entire time-space can be
> called up by an image, briefly sketched scene, or typified action
> (e.g., strangers meeting on the road). Eugene's car getting locked in
> the university garage is an example--an image that calls up
> institutional control of schedule and space, Eugene's traversals to
> home or other spaces, etc.
>
> I wonder how others on the list conceive of limits of the chronotope
> as Bakhtin has developed it. In my thinking, Bakhtin's notion of
> time-space is overly dominated by the temporal/historical and a thin
> on the spatial, the simultaneous, the dispersed, or rich notions of
> place. He seems primarily interested in the relation between the
> chronotope and characters' (historical) development (or lack thereof).
>
> I also don't think that Bakhtin gets us far along in thinking about
> the relations between semiotic and material chronotopes. He certainly
> recognized that the chrontopes of the work (e.g., novel) and the
> chronotopes of the reader's world come together and interact, but
> beyond this, I sense we need to go elsewhere to develop a more rich
> theory of time-space production across "perceived spaces" and
> "conceived spaces" (Lefebvre).
>
> But, would love to hear more reflections and arguments on Bakhtin or
otherwise.
>
> Kevin
>
>
>
>
>
> >Dear Mike and everybody-
> >
> >I'm risking my car being locked in the University garage but I want to
> >briefly reply to your question,
> --
> Kevin Leander, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor, Teaching and Learning
> Vanderbilt University
> www.vanderbilt.edu/litspace



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